CATAAlliance NEWS

Have Your Say: Demand policies for the adoption of mobile technologies in Canada: act now to add your voice to the Digital Adoption CampaignDecember 2, 2013

CATAAlliance, the ICT Council and CanadaOne have joined forces to create "Have Your Say" utilizing an on-line letter writing tool that enables citizens to raise and support issues of concern with their Members of Parliament.

The Have Your Say issue is the need to address low uptake of mobile and other innovative technologies by Canadian enterprises.

According to CATA CEO, John Reid, and ICTC CEO, Namir Anani, "Digital platforms create the opportunity to offer new services domestically and abroad. If fully adopted, Canadian enterprises would benefit from higher job creation, increased efficiency, reduced costs, new revenue generation and faster innovation."

Note that you will be able to use the letter already included below, or replace it with your own letter on the interface.

Have Your Say Draft Letter

I am writing to draw your attention to the importance of businesses adopting the use of mobile technologies and to ask you to support the development of a federal policy to promote the adoption of mobile technologies.

Two recent reports have highlighted a concerning gap in the adoption of digital platforms within Canadian companies, particularly small and mid-sized enterprises. A new OECD Report ranked Canada's percentage of workers in skilled occupations twelfth out of 18 countries surveyed. Another recent research report by ICTC found that many Canadian businesses, particularly small and medium-sized ones, have not moved their use of mobile technologies much beyond e-mail or web surfing.

A recent study by the Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC) noted that most Canadian brick-and-mortar stores are reluctant to develop online retail channels, which has given foreign-owned retailers like Amazon, Walmart and Dell the opportunity to gain traction in Canada. Notably, while 84 per cent of Canadians are connected to the Internet and 41 per cent buy goods and services online, major Canadian retailers like Indigo, The Bay and Canadian Tire have been losing market share in recent years and account for less than 3% of total online sales by Canadian retailers.

The potential benefit to the Canadian economy from having a greater adoption of digital platforms and innovative technologies is significant. According to to The Canadian Advanced Technology Alliance (CATA) and The Information and Communications Technology Council (ICTC), an increase in enterprise mobile technology adoption of just a one per cent translates into a $2.5 billion contribution to the Canadian economy.

Canadian enterprises need more incentives to adopt these technologies. Leadership is needed from the federal government.

Given your role in public service, I am sure that like myself, you will see the importance of this issue. I am writing to ask you to please take action to help ensure that these technologies are being considered as a central aspect for the future of Canada's economy.

Please support the creation of a digital adoption strategy that will result in the right set of public policies to boost digital technology adoption, with recommendations for enterprises and policy-makers to capitalize on opportunities and minimize costs and risks.